With the new Elban arc in One Piece, Eiichiro Oda seems to be giving the plot a completely different approach than before. The creator of the popular shonen manga seems to be focusing on emotional impact rather than story progression since the beginning of the arc.
Spoilerwarnung!The following sections contain spoilers for Chapter 1133, in which more information about Nico Robin's past is revealed and an emotional reunion occurs. If you haven't read this far, there are a few surprises in store for you.
In chapter 1133, Oda already teases that there will be a reunion between certain characters in the Elban arc that fans have hoped for. The latest chapter already contains such a scene that deeply touched fans: the meeting ofNico Robin and Hagwar D. Sauro.
One of three long-awaited reunions
Shanks und Ruffy
With Robin's emotional reunion with Sauro and the focus on the giants on Elban Island, Oda may be hinting that fans are in for another fateful reunion: between Shanks and Luffy.
Shanks' name has been mentioned several times in the last few chapters. Oda spoke about the importance of Shanks' appearance for the story in a talk show at Nakano Sonnen-Plaza in 1998:
“When Shanks appears more frequently in the story, you can assume the final saga has begun.”
In the Elban arc, the leader of the Red-Haired Pirates was also associated with Loki, the cursed prince and blot on Elban. So it can't be a pure coincidence that Luffy has something to do with Loki, who, according to fan theories, was chained by Shanks. The red-haired pirate also seems to have made friends with the giants of Elban in recent years.
Depending on whether Luffy somehow allies himself with Loki and the Straw Hats then have problems with the giants of Elban, there could be a confrontation between the two pirate leaders. After so long, fans finally want to see the two pirates together again - either as rivals for the great treasure or as admirers and idols! After all, Shanks is something like Luffy's childhood hero.
Yasopp and Usopp
If the Red Hair Pirates and the Straw Hats really meet in the Elban Arc, fans can celebrate not just one reunion, but two. In addition to Shanks and Luffy's reunion, there could also be an emotional moment between Usopp and his father Yasopp.
Yasopp is the shooter and commander of the Red Hair Pirates. Usopp would finally have the chance to see his father again and tell him about the circumstances of his childhood. It would also allow the Straw Hat to confront and reason out with his father.
Vivi and the Straw Hats
Another important character that fans hope will see a reunion with the Straw Hats is Alabasta Princess Vivi. The Princess has not seen the Straw Hat Pirates since their help in the Alabasta Arc and the battle with Corcodile. Vivi then became involved in the plans of the Five Sages and Imu.
Not only was her full name Nefertari D. Vivi revealed in the last arcs and with it that she is a member of the legendary D. family. We also learned that she is doing well after her father's death and wants to contact the Straw Hats by painting the cross on Luffy's arm on his wanted poster.
The mangaka could be hinting at a future reunion between Vivi and the Straw Hats. Since Vivi seems to be important to the major antagonist Imu and we are in the second arc of the final saga, everything indicates that Vivi could soon return to the spotlight.
Another reunion that fans are eagerly awaiting, but one that may not happen in the Elban arc
There is another duo that fans would like to see reunited but need not expect in Elban: La Boum and Brook.
The great whale and the skeleton have long deserved an emotional reunion. After all, La Boum waited at the entrance to the Grand Line for 50 years for the Rumbar Pirates to return, while Brook wandered around as a skeleton for a long time after the death of his crew until he met the Straw Hats. The former Rumbar Pirates musician learned from Luffy that her beloved forest friend was still waiting for her to return.
So far, Oda has given no signs or hints that this reunion will take place in the current Elban arc, but fans are still hoping for a fateful meeting between the two old friends in the future.
Which reunion are you most looking forward to?
